Published: Friday, March 26, 2010
IN OUR VIEW / LEGISLATIVE IMPASSE
It’s time to push, Governor
History shows Chris Gregoire knows how to put the hammer down. Ask the fat cats who were running Big Tobacco in 1998, when Gregoire, as Washington’s attorney general, led the national legal battle that ended with the tobacco companies signing a historic $206 billion settlement with 46 states.
As governor, Gregoire has worked to reshape that “tiger lady” reputation more into one of a deal-maker, prodding and cajoling opposing forces behind the scenes, facilitating agreements both sides can live with.
She has reportedly tried doing that in recent days with House and Senate leaders, fellow Democrats whose chambers are locked in a surprisingly deep dispute over which taxes to raise. The Senate wants a two-tenths of a penny hike in the sales tax as part of an $800 million revenue package, a piece of the Democrats’ plan for closing a $2.8 billion budget deficit. The House says no way to the sales tax, favoring a plan that’s heavier on repealing tax exemptions.
The governor’s strategy isn’t working. It’s time for the assertive Gregoire to emerge and force the issue.
She should state flatly that she’ll veto the Senate’s sales tax proposal, which she has said is too risky to a weak economy. That should be enough to break a stalemate that has already kept lawmakers in session for an extra two weeks.
An alternative that Gregoire raised Wednesday, ordering budget cuts of around 20 percent across state government, would do far too much damage — especially to education, which is already taking hits that will undermine long-term prosperity. But if the Legislature can’t come to agreement, that’s the option called for by state law.
When Gregoire agreed to call lawmakers into an overtime session, it was thought they were within a week of agreement. Two weeks later, neither side has blinked, and now the standoff has gotten costly. By missing a deadline this week to have new taxes go into effect April 1, lawmakers have forfeited up to $15 million in much-needed revenue.
The price of the special session itself is already approaching $200,000 — hardly a thrifty example for the rest of state government. As the session drags on, taxpayers’ anger is rising along with the tab.
One person has the leverage to put an end to this agonizing display.
Get to it, Governor. It’s time to bring out the hammer.
As governor, Gregoire has worked to reshape that “tiger lady” reputation more into one of a deal-maker, prodding and cajoling opposing forces behind the scenes, facilitating agreements both sides can live with.
She has reportedly tried doing that in recent days with House and Senate leaders, fellow Democrats whose chambers are locked in a surprisingly deep dispute over which taxes to raise. The Senate wants a two-tenths of a penny hike in the sales tax as part of an $800 million revenue package, a piece of the Democrats’ plan for closing a $2.8 billion budget deficit. The House says no way to the sales tax, favoring a plan that’s heavier on repealing tax exemptions.
The governor’s strategy isn’t working. It’s time for the assertive Gregoire to emerge and force the issue.
She should state flatly that she’ll veto the Senate’s sales tax proposal, which she has said is too risky to a weak economy. That should be enough to break a stalemate that has already kept lawmakers in session for an extra two weeks.
An alternative that Gregoire raised Wednesday, ordering budget cuts of around 20 percent across state government, would do far too much damage — especially to education, which is already taking hits that will undermine long-term prosperity. But if the Legislature can’t come to agreement, that’s the option called for by state law.
When Gregoire agreed to call lawmakers into an overtime session, it was thought they were within a week of agreement. Two weeks later, neither side has blinked, and now the standoff has gotten costly. By missing a deadline this week to have new taxes go into effect April 1, lawmakers have forfeited up to $15 million in much-needed revenue.
The price of the special session itself is already approaching $200,000 — hardly a thrifty example for the rest of state government. As the session drags on, taxpayers’ anger is rising along with the tab.
One person has the leverage to put an end to this agonizing display.
Get to it, Governor. It’s time to bring out the hammer.
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